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History

History

Wings over Beijing

China is an exciting country, with such incredible diversity in its terrain, people . . . and its cities. Of course, Beijing rises to the top. It is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 million residents within an administrative area. It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies…

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A walk around the block

Wide open spaces.  Free to roam. Fresh air. Peace and quiet. As quiet as a mouse.  “Listen to the silence. It has so much to say." But maybe not here.  Watch as Tim Traveller poses the question "Today this channel asks another vitally important question: where should I live if I want to have the largest…

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The desert is an ocean

The desert is an ocean, with its life underground.  And a perfect disguise above. In the arid heart of Australia, in the Central Tablelands of NSW, paleontologists have found new evidence of an abundance of life. A new fossil site that can most aptly be described as "exceptional" has turned up fossils of spiders, insects, fish, plants…

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The town in Spain with two time zones

Even the church looks surprised. Rihonor de Castilla is a town in Castilla y León with just over 100 inhabitants. Despite its small size, it can boast of being the only town in Spain with two time zones. How is it possible? Because, in reality, it belongs to two countries, Spain and Portugal. The village is situated to…

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Floating Himalayas

In the remote northern region of Kashmir, the gorgeous Dal Lake provides livelihood to the growing population surrounding Srinagar city. But for a variety of reasons, the beautiful and historic region is under threat.  There has been a government conservation act in place for over two decades, but it will take even more than that to…

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Will you pack for Rúpac?

When you think of Peru, you usually think of Machu Pichu, which is logical, as it's the most well-known settlement in Peru.  But, it will also likely come as no surprise that it is not the only ancient settlement in Peru. The Archaeological Complex of Rúpac-Marca Kullpi, often known as the “Machu Picchu of Lima”,…

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Yea verily, I was schooled in a castle

We here at Matouring love history.  It seems like every week a new story appears describing another mind-blowing discovery of a cave, or a desert dig that uncovers an unknown civilisation. We especially love castles, as they are something that you can touch, can explore and can really get a tangible feeling of the history that…

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Zanzibar-none!

You've likely heard of Zanzibar, especially if you're a fan of 1960's movies:  the country was everywhere, such as "West of Zanzibar", "Africa: Blood and Guts" and more. Zanzibar is a place where you should focus your attention on when you're looking for your next go-to destination.  You’ll enjoy clear, turquoise-blue water; shallow sandbars perfect…

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Mmmmm . . . . Bear Ears

Truth in advertising.  When it comes to obscure naming, this park is almost as bad as we are when it comes to that! Despite that, here is the truth.  Bears Ears National Monument is a United States national monument located in San Juan County in southeastern Utah, established by President Barack Obama by presidential proclamation…

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Guam is da bomb

Usually, when we think of the USA, we think of corn fields, Mount Rushmore, NYC and Yellowstone.  Hawaii comes to mind just as often, and rightly so. But, we know that our intrepid readers are often on the lookout for something different, perhaps a bit exotic, but certainly unique enough that they can show off their…

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There’s a Python in your shrubbery

We love Monty Python.  At the age of 12 we rolled on the floor, in hysterics, wondering what they would do next.  Our Welsh father never got it, but we did. Times changed and so did Python.  They went their separate ways, almost all going on to further successes and fortunes. Michael Palin, however, branched off to…

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Tenacity city

ACHIEVEMENT IS A CHOICE We won't wax here on about working hard.  That is a personal choice and who are we to say?  It has its ups and downs.  It's not for everyone.  And there is no shame in simply being who you are, ambitious or not. In China, though, there is an entire city of go-getters.…

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Mudlarking

If you're a regular reader here at Matouring, you'll know how much we love London.  We lived there and explored nearly every nook and cranny of that most celebrated of cities.  And every time we return, we find new gems to squeal about. One activity that you may not think about when in The Smoke is…

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Sing a song of Shetland

We would expect that many of you have watched the excellent and riveting police drama, Shetland, on Netflix (or other providers.)  Unlike many police series, Shetland seems to have a base in genuine kindness and thoughts of well-being for others, rather than just a hail of bullets like so many other shows. Shetland itself is an…

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$700,000,000 homes and ten car garages.

If you think you know Africa, think again.  The country - and its entrepreneurs are not getting left behind.  Brains and guts exist in every country, and Africa on that list. The Real Wakanda is where oil magnates, textile queenpins, and construction autocrats come home to gargantuan mansions. Africa is home to 1.2 billion inhabitants, and has…

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Why? Because we’re the VatiCAN!

If you haven't visited the Vatican in Rome, please be sure to add it to your list.  Not only are the Vatican buildings, themselves, incredible, but the Vatican museum will blow your mind. As you may know, the Vatican itself is an independent city-state and enclave located within Rome, Italy and it is a distinct…

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